Ineos does not give up, rebel in this America’s Cup, invited by surprise in the very final, but never wins against the super Team New Zealand, which overcomes all the difficulties that the British propose, also this Monday in the best regatta, the most equal, of a series that seems to press on the water but in the end always falls on the same side. In the regatta postponed due to lack of wind the previous day, the Kiwis added their fourth consecutive victory in Barcelona (4-0). They only need three more points to lift the Hundred Guineas Jug for the third consecutive time, an unprecedented triplet in 173 years of competition.
Ben Ainslie, helmsman and leader of Ineos, started bravely, taking advantage of his right of way (the boat that sails with the wind to starboard always has it) in a good start. It cornered the New Zealanders in the left sector of the race course and prevented them from tracing their natural course. In a position of inferiority, the Defender had to maneuver ahead of schedule to look for an alternative route and Ineos, for the first time in the final, finally led the race with a certain advantage, convinced that this time yes, there is a final in Barcelona .
But once the two AC75s sailed in crossed trajectories, one on the port side, the other on the starboard, Team New Zealand became a hypnotic boat. It doesn’t matter if there is a lot or a little wave (today it was 0.5 meters, a comfortable height for sailing) or if the wind blows with a lot or a little force (about 14 knots, at the top of the regulatory window). He Taihoro (as the New Zealand boat is called) always advances in balance, with hardly any bounce on the water; parallel over the water and always dominating. After spending four weeks without competing due to being directly qualified for the Final Match, the Defender arrives with a package of improved accessories that are currently unbeatable. The start of the race was so close that upon reaching the first of the six established gates, both sailboats arrived with the same time in the first technical tie in memory of this edition.
Ineos Britannia couldn’t do much more from the second round. Team New Zealand found a gust of wind that put them ahead, a lead that they would no longer relinquish despite the insistence of Ainslie, who on his fiercest day also did not achieve victory.
The final rests this Tuesday, but will continue next Wednesday and Thursday with two more races each day. In the event that the Kiwis are close to the title, which is achieved by winning seven regattas, the organization would move the following rounds to Saturday to hold the final races on the weekend.
